As of today, the much-talked-about and trouble-ridden Chapter 8 has come to an end. It was also the hardest chapter I have ever written, and the one that received the most criticism from readers. Of course, to be honest, I understand. Now that I’ve finished writing it, I’m left with a great many regrets. I don’t think I’ve ever struggled this much while writing before.
Originally, I’m the type who writes smoothly only when I have a large stockpile of chapters prepared in advance. Since the Soem days, I’ve always serialized with at least half a volume to a full volume’s worth of backlog.
Back then, even if groundbreaking ideas appeared in the comments, I could hardly reflect them in the story. That was because the later content had already been completed. I had always found that a little regrettable, so for Chapters 7 and 8, I tried changing my method a bit. But while comments do have positive effects, they also have no small number of negative ones. I can’t deny that they helped a great deal with the development of the story, but as I referred little by little to the opinions of many readers, I feel the original setup became greatly diluted. The story ended up very different from what I first intended to unfold. So I plan to return to my previous method.
There is only one reason this useless chatter is getting so long. The hiatus is likely to become very long… (Is that the sound of stones flying from somewhere?)
After I return from Beijing, I intend to prepare thoroughly for Chapter 9. After taking sufficient rest, I plan to build a solid outline and begin serialization only after writing at least most of Chapter 9. I think that is the only way I can regain my pace. Writing and hurriedly uploading the way I am now does not seem good for either me or the readers.
Even if I estimate it briefly, the hiatus will likely last more than a month. Perhaps it may take even longer.
Since this seems to be an unavoidable choice in order to improve the completion of the work, and to raise quality over quantity, I ask for your generous understanding.
I am scheduled to depart at dawn on the 19th, and Volume 8 will be released while I am in China. Because of that, tomorrow evening (the 18th), I plan to delete the portion currently uploaded online. The portion will be the entirety of Chapter 8.
Well then, that’s all.??
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Since he could not say that he had guarded a dragon’s lair in the body of a lich, the mercenaries simply assumed that Damon had mastered magic to its utmost limit and survived until now. Briefly recalling that fact, Damon nodded silently.
“That is true. Immediately after the Second Race War ended five hundred years ago, the dragons entered their sleep period. There should still be several years left before they awaken.”
Hearing those words, Kasim’s eyes gleamed.
“Then wouldn’t now, while they’re asleep, be the best time to hunt them? From what I read in books, dragons can’t become active right away even after waking…”
That question seemed to be a matter of interest not only to Kasim, but to all the mercenaries. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and was listening. It was only natural. Even a child knew that hunting a bear in hibernation was far easier than hunting an active bear, and if explained in that context, a sleeping dragon should be the same.
In other words, their common thought was that if they could only find the lair where a dragon was asleep, the hunt might end then and there.
Damon, finding it absurd, let out a long sigh.
‘Unbelievable. In short, they know nothing at all about the race called dragons.’
Of course, it was not as though he himself had never thought of it. However, according to his experience of guarding a lair for a full five hundred years as a guardian, it was a plan that had been impossible from the very beginning. Had Damon not given up on it long ago for that very reason? There were several reasons for it.
The first reason was that dragons slept in residences completely cut off from the outside world. In Verchis’s case, his quarters had been set up in a place surrounded by lava, and entry and exit depended entirely on teleportation. Therefore, whether by teleportation or direct infiltration, entering was equally impossible. In a place where a teleportation distortion field laid down by a dragon had been installed, even another dragon could not teleport. On top of that, it was a place even the guardians defending the lair were forbidden to enter. Nor was there any way to break through a place surrounded by lava.
He did not know what the circumstances of other dragons’ lairs were like, but there was no doubt at all that they were impregnable fortresses. There was no way dragons, who knew their own weaknesses well, would have handled things carelessly. Furthermore, their guardians were certainly also targets to be wary of.
Once before, Damon had imagined raiding Verchis’s lair, but the result had been truly futile. The lich guardians under Geddenhide were by no means beings to be underestimated. Even if one fought a bloody battle against them, it would be difficult to subdue them quickly, and if even a little time were delayed, heavily armed orc infantry from nearby tribes would swarm in like ants. On top of that, even Damon had not yet grasped the power of the iron golems and bronze golems guarding Verchis’s dwelling. In other words, while one was dealing with them, Verchis would have more than enough time to wake up.
If Verchis learned that Damon possessed bone dragons and Death Knights, he would certainly gather the surrounding dragons. If two or more dragons gathered, the situation would be completely over. At that point, even fleeing would be impossible.
Just as Damon had done, dragons too could sufficiently interfere with magic. They simply did not do so because there was no need. Therefore, escape through teleportation could not even be considered, and escaping by using the bone dragons would likewise not be easy. There was a clear limit to the number of dragons that could be faced with two bone dragons and four Death Knights.
For that reason, Damon had been unable to rashly bring himself to cross over to Truvania. What he had to aim for was strictly defeating them one by one, and to do that, there was a foremost prerequisite. Joining forces with a ruler of this land and carrying out a joint operation with his army. That was the only method Damon could aim for.
And yet Kasim was prattling on so carefree, knowing nothing, so Damon’s mood could only turn sour. Damon bluntly threw out a remark.
“There is a red dragon in Truvania named Verchis. Have you perhaps heard of the guardians who defend that fellow’s lair?”
Of course, there was no way Kasim would know about that. Watching Kasim shake his head, Damon let out a sigh.
“As far as I know, the guardians there are all composed of liches. There are roughly sixty of them, all above the 6th Circle. In particular, the one commanding them can by no means be taken lightly. Because that fellow is a 9th Circle Expert…”
The mercenaries’ eyes widened sharply. They had never before heard that the guardians defending a lair were that tremendous. Sixty 6th Circle liches were a force capable of turning an ordinary kingdom into scorched earth in an instant. And on top of that, even their leader was a 9th Circle Expert… At that level, even if the bone dragons and Death Knights all charged in, it would be difficult to rashly guarantee victory. Deciding that he might as well frighten them further, Damon deliberately began speaking at length.
“Not all of a dragon’s guardians are liches. But the others won’t be easy to deal with either. Most of them are made up of stone golems… Even so, medium-sized monsters are comparatively easier to deal with. It’s a bit troublesome that magic has been cast on them so that, in an emergency, they enter Berserker (狂戰士) mode, though.”
“M-medium-sized monsters, you say…”
“Most of them are ogres. Dragons don’t often use trolls as guardians because they’re weak. They even prefer strong twin-heads among ogres, so would they use slow, sluggish trolls?”
Every one of the mercenaries felt a chill run down their spines. Although medium-sized monsters had been exterminated in Arcadia, that was strictly limited to knights, and to mercenaries, ogres were still monsters difficult to face. And yet ogres with Berserker magic cast on them… Kasim trembled and continued speaking haltingly.
“H-how many guardians defend a lair, exactly…”
“I don’t know for certain, but let me give as an example the lair of the one I dealt with previously. At that time, there were about fifty stone golems, and around two hundred medium-sized monsters. There were quite a few goblins that fired poison needles, but there’s no need to worry about them, right? A fellow who hadn’t even reached the rank of wyrm had that much. So you should assume the others have even more, shouldn’t you?”
As if merely hearing it gave them goosebumps, the mercenaries shuddered. The plan to aim for sleeping dragons had already vanished completely from their minds. Kasim shook his head as though he could not quite believe it.
“S-surely it can’t be that much? There were no guardians at all in Catroy’s lair…”
Damon wagged a finger as if to say that was not the case.
“You saw the ice pillars supporting the air in that fellow’s lair, didn’t you? Those massive ice pillars engraved with strange magic circles.”
“Yes. I did see them.”
“Those were all guardians. They’re called ice golems. Of course, they’re significantly weaker than stone golems, but they’re much larger. If you had intruded into his lair without permission, you probably would have had to receive their enthusiastic welcome.”
Damon continued speaking with a grin. But for the mercenaries listening, it was by no means a story they could accept with a smile.??
‘There must have been a good hundred ice pillars at least… Good heavens, if those were all ice golems…’
As they came to feel the true nature of the existence called dragons, the mercenaries felt their pride being broken. Until now, they had thought Damon was invincible, but in truth, that was not the case at all. The dragons also had helpers on a level no less than Damon’s. The strength began to drain from the mercenaries’ shoulders before they knew it. Damon continued speaking without wiping the smile from his face.
“In truth, defeating a single dragon in Truvania was quite literally a stroke of luck. Facing dragons in Truvania, their home ground, is an extremely foolish thing to do. On top of that, we would also have to deal with the orcs who rule Truvania, so it cannot be considered an easy task.”
“Then we must thoroughly lure the dragons here if we are to have any chance of victory.”
Damon nodded silently.
“That’s right. But in order to do that, there is something we must resolve first. I have a plan, so I will inform you of that later. For now, what you need to do is raise your abilities as much as possible. In the future, you may have to face not only stone golems and medium-sized monsters, but even 6th Circle liches.”??
“Understood.”
Damon looked over each of the mercenaries’ faces one by one.
“Those who are frightened may drop out at any time. What lies ahead may not be enough even if you had several lives attached to you.”
Before his words had even ended, the mercenaries were vigorously shaking their heads.
“We have not the slightest intention of doing so. We have already laid down our lives.”
“One must die someday anyway. If we die fighting dragons, there could be no greater honor.”
“If we’re going to return to being wretched third-rate mercenaries, I’d rather choose death.”
Watching the mercenaries each speak their piece, Damon broke into a faint smile. They truly were men worth taking as comrades.
“With that mindset, good. Let us make a splendid name for ourselves…”
“Waaaaah!”
The mercenaries all burst into cheers at once. Now that they had realized the enemies they would face were stronger than they had imagined, one might have expected their spirits to flag, but instead, they were burning with fighting spirit. It was their resolve to devote themselves even more to training from now on and increase their abilities. At the same time, it was also an expression of gratitude toward Damon, who had given them such an opportunity. Behind the mercenaries, who continued cheering again and again, Mitchell stood with a lonely expression. But no one saw it.
Wherever humans live, there is an organization that exists. It is called the Thieves’ Guild. To those who belong to the realm of darkness, it is a sanctuary; to those who enforce the law, it is something that must be uprooted without fail. In a sense, one could say that the Thieves’ Guild is an organization that will exist forever so long as society endures. No matter how many times it is rooted out, it springs up again like weeds. Lately, however, the Thieves’ Guilds of Arcadia had been suffering one calamity after another.
“I-if your business is finished, please, kill me quickly.”
A one-eyed man was trembling, his face ashen. Judging by the chilling scars that covered the face beneath his eye patch, he had clearly lived no ordinary life. He was a man who seemed to have tasted all the sweetness and bitterness the world had to offer.
The man, whose name was Jepild, was the leader of the Terbia Thieves’ Guild, a heavyweight known by the alias the Godfather of Darkness. Having risen to this position through every manner of hardship, he should not have so much as blinked at most things, yet now he was seized by extreme terror. And for good reason: the beings standing calmly before him were not the sort to whom ordinary common sense applied.
Beside Jepild lay a disorderly scattering of unidentified objects(?). Half-crumbled, dried-up things like mummies. Until just moments ago, they had been living, breathing human beings. They had been the principal executives of the Terbia Thieves’ Guild, and with a single gesture from the robed figure, they had been reduced to this state. Even Jepild, hardened as he was, could not help but be overcome with fear.
Until moments ago, he had been seated with his executives, deep in discussion over how to distribute the tribute payments. The possibility of security soldiers bursting in was no problem at all. Given the nature of their profession, they had made every possible preparation to escape. While loyal subordinates who cared nothing for their own lives blocked the passage, if they slipped through the secret tunnel into the maze-like back alleys, there was no one who could catch them. The darkness, as familiar as their own homeland, would conceal their existence perfectly. But this time, the situation was different.
Crash.
When the door was smashed apart without warning, they began to respond as they always had. The thieves, brandishing daggers, charged toward the door, and at the same time, Jepild and the executives reflexively headed for the secret passage. The tribute money was left untouched on the table. It was the most effective way to delay the pursuit of the security soldiers, and it had allowed them to escape danger many times before. However—
Fwoosh.
There were not even screams. After a few sounds like dry reed leaves being thrown into a campfire, Jepild was left entirely alone. The situation had literally ended in the blink of an eye. At the same time, a chilling voice rang out. To Jepild, it was no different from the voice of a demon.
“If you move so much as a little, I will dry you up for certain.”
At the sight of the executives, who had turned into mummies and were crumbling in the blink of an eye, Jepild’s hair stood on end. He was a man who would not blink even if blood flowed and flesh flew, but what was unfolding before him was driving him completely into terror. To drive away his fear, he shouted.
“Wh-who are you? Why in the world—? Guaaaak!”
Before he could even finish speaking, a scream burst from his mouth. Seeing his right arm shrivel in an instant and turn pitch black, Jepild’s eyes bulged. The eerie voice, as though it came from the netherworld, continued to ring out.
“Bear in mind that this is what happens when you answer questions you were not asked.”
Jepild quickly shut his mouth. Instinctively, he realized that this was not an opponent to whom common sense applied. He desperately calmed himself and examined the intruders. There were three of them, all draped in black robes, and since he could not sense any vitality from them, they did not seem to be human. Jepild’s intuition was proven the moment the one standing at the front pushed back his hood.
“Huk.”
What was revealed beneath the hood was a skull with not a trace of flesh attached to it. A bleak light gleamed from within its eye sockets. Seeing that it wore something like a strangely shaped crown, it was hard to imagine it was merely a skeleton. As befitted the leader of a Thieves’ Guild, Jepild immediately recognized the other party’s identity.
“L-Lich.”
He managed to spit out a single word, but the price was truly great. Even his remaining left arm ended up in the same state as his right. Clutching both shoulders, Jepild barely swallowed a groan as that same voice entered his ears.
“I have one thing to ask you. If you answer obediently, I will kill you cleanly. If not, you will experience the pain of drying up slowly from the tips of your toes.”
Jepild instinctively realized it. If he did not obey, he would suffer pain beyond imagination.
“A-ask me anything.”
Questions soon rained down upon him, and fortunately, their contents concerned matters Jepild knew. They were about the black mage who had recently thrown the world into an uproar, so for Jepild, it was fortunate indeed. Jepild frantically poured out everything he knew. After that, he waited for death with his heart in his throat. Fortunately, the other party was one who took responsibility for the words he had spoken.
“You’ve done well.”
There was no scream. As his body shriveled up in an instant, Jepild was finally freed from pain. The dead cannot feel pain, after all.
Thud.
Watching Jepild’s mummy collapse, the owner of the voice muttered as though amused.
“As expected, nothing is more dramatic for finishing humans than Horrid Wilting.”
The identity of the skull-face wearing a satisfied smile was none other than Gedenhide. The leader of the Guardians who protected Verkis’s lair had appeared in Terbia. Having achieved his intended objective, Gedenhide was in a rather good mood.
“With this, I suppose I have carried out the order without fail. I have discovered why Lord Russellent was defeated by that fellow called Damon.”
Before entering slumber, Verkis had summoned Gedenhide and given him a certain command. It was to cross over to Arcadia and inquire after news of Damon. Gedenhide had crossed over to Arcadia according to that order, and at last, he had been able to grasp the forces Damon possessed.
“Still, it is impressive. A Master-class Death Knight and a Bone Dragon, is it… With that much, it is understandable that Lord Russellent, who crossed over alone, would have been defeated…”
But not anymore. Now that they had uncovered the full extent of that fellow Damon’s resources, there was nothing to hinder them. His master was different from Russellent. He was not a being who would be defeated by the likes of a Death Knight or a Bone Dragon. In Gedenhide’s mind, Verkis was a dragon so powerful that no rival could be found in the world. If he set his mind to it, even the Dragon Lord would be no match for him…
“Your efforts are admirable, but it is impossible. It seems you gained Neidelhark’s mana through a sealing orb, but it is far from enough. Lord Verkis is one who could easily win even if he fought Neidelhark one-on-one.”
It was not simply because he had been placed under a spiritual geas. The instant he was subdued, Gedenhide had felt Verkis’s true power to the marrow of his bones. Judging that his mission was complete, Gedenhide looked back at the two liches he had brought with him.
“We are returning. Set up the teleportation magic circle immediately.”
“Understood.”
Watching the liches bow their heads, Gedenhide’s eyes flared with a terrifying light.
“In one year, the time announcing the end of humanity will arrive. Beginning with the assassination of Emperor Krosen, the War of Human Extermination will commence…”
Verkis had already reached the point where he could use advanced magic to hasten the time when he would awaken from his slumber. Thinking of that, Gedenhide burst into maniacal laughter, as though delighted.
“Humans, count the moments until the end that draws nearer with every passing instant. Khahahahaha.”
The dried corpses of the guild members were being reduced completely to powder by Gedenhide’s mad laughter.